By Annie Rousseau
I have just finished facilitating my second three-month study group with The Painting Experience and I’m finding it hard to say goodbye. No one in our group -- which reached from British Columbia all the way to Florida -- wanted it to end.
As a facilitator, it’s enriching to have ongoing contact with a group of dedicated painters, instead of just the few days we have together at a workshop. We initiate discussions during our conference calls, then take time to explore the questions that come up for each participant.
None of us could have predicted the power of hearing each others’ individual stories during our calls. We were often surprised when someone else would say exactly what we needed to hear. Each painter benefited from the confidence, focus and inspiration provided by the group.
Part of my role as a study group facilitator is to write group emails that develop the topics that arise during conference calls. I also post these messages to the study group’s private blog. In this way, our conversations can continue to unfold.
Staying connected through a blog is a new experience for most first-time participants, but everyone quickly comes to appreciate the online meeting place as a forum to share not only thoughts but photos as well. A private blog allows us to get to know each others’ faces and painting spaces at home, sharing regular glimpses into each others’ lives.
The support of the study group has given some people the courage to play with other art materials and explore long desired passions for art expression. The group was always there to remind us that we aren’t alone in this work. Sharing the common ground of study group -- especially when we found ourselves in a “wordless” place -- helped us to feel understood, even as we celebrated the uniqueness of each participant. Study group continually brings new ideas and perceptions, waking up the brain and bringing this mostly unconscious process into the light so we can integrate new awareness into our lives.
Each group also includes time for me to work one-on-one with each painter. This is a precious opportunity to see what each person is exploring and to find the thread that appears in their work. Together, we can then find exactly what is needed, whether that means facing a challenge, going deeper, continuing on, or completing a painting and moving forward. We keep the brush moving and we stay connected to the painting and the process.
I love study group and can’t wait to meet the next constellation in February 2011.
©Annie Rousseau 2008
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